1. Technical Field
This application relates generally to the field of lighting. More particularly, this application relates to the technology of high power light emitting diode (LED) lighting units, e.g., providing approximately 9,000 lumens of total illumination at 150 watts power dissipation, and, in particular, to a higher power LED lighting unit for indoor and outdoor lighting functions, such as architectural lighting, having a dynamically programmable single or multiple color array of high power LEDs and improved heat dissipation characteristics.
2. Background Information
Developments in LED technology have resulted in the development of “high powered” LEDs having light outputs on the order of, for example, 70 to 80 lumens per watt, so that lighting units including arrays of high powered LEDs have proven practical and suitable for high powered indoor and outdoor lighting functions, such as architectural lighting. Such high powered LED array lighting units have proven advantageous over traditional and conventional lighting device by providing comparable illumination level outputs at significantly lower power consumption. Lighting units including arrays of higher powered LEDs are further advantageous in providing simple and flexible control of the color or color temperature of the lighting units. That is, and for example, high powered LED lighting units may include arrays of selected combinations of red, green and blue LEDs and white LEDs having different color temperatures. The color or color temperature output, of such an LED array, may then be controlled by dimming control of the LEDs of the array so that the relative illumination level outputs, of the individual LEDs in the array, combine to provide the desired color or color temperature for the lighting unit output.
A recurring problem with such higher powered LED array lighting units, however, is the heat generated by such high powered LED arrays, which often adversely effects the power and control circuitry of the lighting units and the junction temperatures of the LEDs, resulting in shortened use life and an increased failure rate of one or more of the power and control circuitry and the LEDs. This problem is compounded by the heat generated by, for example, the LED array power circuitry and is particularly compounded by the desire for LED lighting units that are compact and of esthetically pleasing appearance as such considerations often result in units having poor heat transfer and dissipation characteristics with consequently high interior temperatures and “hot spots” or “hot pockets.”
The present invention provides a solution to these and related problems of the prior art.